Baroness Ashton warned French are perplexing to take her thunder

David Charter, Brussels & , : {}

A day after being criticised for the quality of her French, Baroness Ashton of Upholland was warned yesterday that she faces a Gallic plot to seize control of the EU foreign office that she heads. Lady Ashton could become a puppet of Paris, MEPs said, if she follows through with plans to create a secretary-general of the new European External Action Service (EEAS) rather than have a trio of deputies.

President Sarkozy is understood to be lining up Pierre Vimont, his US Ambassador, for the role. This would be seen as a further blow for the British peer after months of criticism from French politicians for her faltering start as EU High Representative and an offer from Pierre Lellouche, the Europe Minister, of language lessons to improve her French.

It would also add to the French dominance of top jobs, with the French already heading the European Council administration, the European Central Bank, the World Trade Organisation and the International Monetary Fund.

Lady Ashton told the European Parliament that she was still open to its idea of several political deputies and added that she was determined to ensure a balance of nationalities in senior posts.

Related LinksAshton goes back to school to brush up FrenchAshton fights to assert herself in Middle EastAshton appeals for end to personal attacks

A confidential diagram of the proposed staff structure for the EEAS, prepared by her office and seen by The Times, however, shows that a single secretary-general is being planned to oversee the organisation and report directly to her. The EEAS will control a budget of €45 billion (40 billion) over seven years.

If you have such a figure, a secretary-general, then Catherine Ashton becomes a puppet really, said Franziska Brantner, a German Green MEP on the foreign affairs committee. She will be the one who gives the speeches that the secretary-general has approved. It is pretty clear that they are trying to establish a strong figure under her so that she might be the one who gives nice talks but really the power will be somewhere else.

A turf war is being fought in Brussels over Lady Ashtons empire and the MEPs believe that she needs three political deputies to avoid being weakened by the bureaucracy of the EU member states. Lady Ashton believes that a secretary-general would act like a British permanent secretary, helping the EEAS to create a clearer EU foreign policy.

This can be interpreted as too much power in one person but on the other hand either you have someone in charge or you do not, a spokesman for Lady Ashton said. Someone has to be in charge and it is best if they are clearly identified.

Lady Ashton is due to publish her proposal this month.